I’ve heard people say that Dotted horsemint attracts the most pollinator diversity of any native plants but I can’t find anything that truly backs up that claim, but I have noticed more different kinds of pollinators and predatory wasps on them than any native wildflower I have planted, they go absolutely crazy for them, it’s also the sole host plant of a rare solitary bee. The fact that it’s so benificial to the ecosystem as well as an edible medicinal plant make it a prime choice for food forests and vegetable gardens, as well as native wildflower meadows. I see people suggesting non native species for attracting benificial insects to North American gardens, but most native species won’t even be able to recognize them. If you have a tomato horn worm problem, adding dotted horsemint will take care of it. I had bad horn worms the years before I planted some and since then I rarely see one without predatory wasps eggs already in it.
Definitely don’t pass up on this species!!! It also can live in sand with no irrigation so it’s an extremely draught tolerant perennial.
by Wrong-Ear-893
13 Comments
I am in north Florida zone 8b, but monarda punctata has a wide range!
no way! i just saw a bunch of these guys on a nature walk and i wondered what they were
For people interested, here’s [Prairie Moon’s page on them](https://www.prairiemoon.com/monarda-punctata-spotted-bee-balm)
Can confirm these are awesome! They’re doing well and spreading in an extremely challenging spot in my yard that a lot of other natives haven’t survived, between the deer, heat, and dry sandy soil.
Could I grow them in Oregon or would they be invasive?
Iowa 5A, my first year with Monarda Punctata ‘Spotted Bee Balm’, can confirm wasps love it along with bees and others. It grew well in full sun, next to Culver’s Root.
Monarda is easy to grow, incredibly hardy, will be crawling with pollinators and has a very pleasant smell
USDA 3-9 in case some of my cold hearty folks are wondering. I may try this next year and see how it does!
It’s in the mint family, so it will spread. That’s sometimes a plus and sometimes a liability. I’m going to order a few different colors next spring to start from seed–I’ve got a bunch of crimson monarda that is a little tricky to fit into a color scheme, both in the yard and the vase.
Not only is it all those great things already mentioned, and my personal experience is I’ve seen at least two dozen different types of pollinators that I’ve never seen on any of my other plants on my very large patch of bee balm aka dotted horsemint. But you can also use it in cooking as a fresh herb. It contains thymol, the same active oil found in oregano and thyme. Due to its flavor profile, it is sometimes used as a substitute for these Mediterranean herbs and I can say it does add a unique flavor to tomato dishes when used.
Heady nuggz bra
Is says it prefers sandy soil. I’m in SW Virginia and it’s pretty dense clay soil? Would it still be worth giving a shot?
What did west virginia do to be discluded?